Jordon Crawford: Once A Dub Knick, Always A Dub Knick

Jordon Crawford may have been traded to the Canton Charge, but he’ll forever be remembered as as a foundational member of the Westchester Knicks.

Back in 2015, the Westchester Knicks selected Jordon Crawford in the fifth round (76th overall) of the NBA D-League Draft. Before coming to Westchester, Crawford played with Mapfree Life in Cyprus, where he had great success.

During his lone season in Cyprus, he averaged 26.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. The Bowling Green product led the team to the North League title and was named the North League Playoffs Most Valuable Player.

During his first season in Westchester, Jordon Crawford played a huge role for the team off the bench. Behind Travis Trice and Jimmer Fredette, Crawford was an instant spark off the bench with his defensive tenacity.

Early in the season, Crawford stated that he takes pride in his defense and that’s what gets him going.

“Me personally, defense is what gets me going,” Crawford said in December. “It’s not making shots. I think I make shots, and make right plays, and bring energy on offense. But it’s when I pick it up on the defensive end, so I definitely take pride in that. That gets me going. It gets the team going, so I know I got to pick it up in that area.”

He took a huge step forward during his short stint in the starting rotation when Fredette received a 10-day contract in February of 2016.

The 5-foot-6 guard returned for a second season and played a significant role on the team. Along with his defensive presence, he made an improvement with his 3-point shot.  Crawford noted that his goal was to “put extra work in and try to raise the bar,” and he certainly did that.

With his speed, he kept the opposition on their toes.

Along with the career-high 32 points (23 in the first half) Crawford posted against the Austin Spurs, he did that on 13-of-18 shooting from the field, which was also a career-high.

In his first year, he shot 29.6 percent from beyond the arc. He raised that number to 42.2 percent from 3-point range in his sophomore season with the Dub Knicks.

On Feb. 10, 2017, the Bowling Green product totaled 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 34 minutes of action. That turned out to be Crawford’s last game with the Westchester Knicks.

Before Westchester took on the Northern Arizona Suns the next night, it was announced that Jordon Crawford was traded to the Canton Charge. As part of the trade, Westchester received Canton’s second-round pick in the 2017 NBA G League Draft.

In the trade, the Knicks sent a third-round pick in the 2017 NBA G League Draft, which they acquired from the Texas Legends via the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

When Crawford found out about the trade, he said he felt surprised, but happy that he was also getting closer to home.

“I think the biggest thing was surprised, but excited because this is my home ,” Jordon Crawford said following Westchester’s meeting against the Canton Charge. “I had a great time here. It’s been wonderful. But at the same time, I knew I was getting closer to my family being back in Ohio, so I get to see my daughter a lot more often. I was losing something, but I was gaining something.”

Before Crawford departed Westchester, New York for Canton, Ohio, he thanked Westchester for embracing him on his journey.

Before the former Knicks guard left for his new team, some Westchester fans couldn’t miss an opportunity to grab a photo with the fan favorite.

Three days after being traded, Jordon Crawford played in his first game as a member of the Canton Charge. For Crawford, it was great playing professional ball in his home state.

“It’s nice,” Crawford said. “A lot more people can come watch me play; whether it’s people from Bowling Green that used to come to the games to friends from Bowling Green my family and friends from Cincinnati always come up. My daughter has been up every weekend with me, so it’s been amazing. I think it’s been a good situation so far.”

On Mar. 5, 2017, Crawford played his former team for the first time in Canton, Ohio. The Charge were victorious that night, as Canton picked up their 23rd win of the season.

On Mar. 28, Crawford returned to the Westchester County Center for the first time since being traded. After the game, the former Knicks guard said it was the first game in his professional career where he felt nervous.

“I don’t think I left on bad terms or anything,” Crawford said. “It’s not that I wanted to leave or anything like that, so I felt that the love was still there. I was kind of excited, but this was the first game I actually was kind of nervous to play in my whole career. I was happy to be back though.”

During his stint with the Westchester Knicks, Jordon Crawford played in 80 games (including two playoff games during the 2015-16 season) with the team. He seen the team grow on the court and make the playoffs during the team’s second season.

Off the court, Crawford dished assists off the court by helping those in need and practiced fundamentals at an NBA Cares event with his fellow Westchester Knicks teammates.

Looking back on his time in Westchester, Crawford said he had a number of favorite memories during his year and half with the Dub Knicks.

“A bunch of them,” Crawford said. “I think the support game in and game out coming here and knowing that we were going to have a good crowd in here at the County Center and how we interact with the fans. From the little kids on the sideline to when we do events and even the community going down to eat or whatnot around Mamaroneck and everything. It’s like a family atmosphere over here.”

After spending nearly half of his professional career in Westchester, the Cleveland, Ohio native said he wants to be remembered as a person who always did the right thing and always gave 100 percent every day.

“I think I just want to be remembered as a person who always did the right thing; always gave 100 percent every day whether it was on the court or off the court,” Crawford said. “A good teammate a good role model. I don’t want any body to be like, ‘I had a bad experience with him’. I want everybody who came across or if you tell somebody to somebody else that it’s going to be positive and it’s not going to be like, ‘I don’t know about that guy. I want my mark to be left as I want Jordon back. I liked having him around.”

Must Read: Jordon Crawford: Small Stature, Huge Dreams

Jordon Crawford may not be a Westchester Knick anymore, but he played a huge role in the growth of the organization. On the court, he was a defensive boost off the bench. Crawford stepped into the starting rotation for 15 games during his time in Westchester and was able to have a big impact on the team.

Off the court, he was someone who gave back to the community through events such as NBA Cares with his fellow Westchester Knicks teammates. He was a fan favorite in the Westchester County Center.

Even though Jordon Crawford is no longer with the team, he’ll always be a Westchester Knick.